A global event hub at Expo 2020 to expand the UAE’s successful events sector

By GDM Staff

DUBAI-: The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) opens for business on 20 October, 2020, offering Expo 2020 Dubai participants, partners, government entities, industry associations and event organisers access to a global stage for the six-month duration of the world’s largest meeting of minds and building on the already thriving exhibition and conferences sector in the UAE.

A new 3D animated fly-through (click here) shows a world-class venue comprising 45,000sqm of space spread across two campuses, housing a theatre, auditorium, several multi-purpose halls, four suites and 24 meeting rooms, and customisable to all event needs, including large indoor concerts.

Co-located at the Expo 2020 site, the DEC forms a key part of Expo 2020’s legacy, where it will continue to serve District 2020, the integrated urban development that will repurpose more than 80 per cent of Expo’s built environment.

A crucial driver of growth in the business services sector, the DEC’s operation and expansion will attract both domestic and international visitors and encourage a sustainable, resilient and diversified economy in line with UAE Vision 2021, a set of national priorities to mark the country’s Golden Jubilee.

Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Delivery Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “By any standard, the Dubai Exhibition Centre will be a cutting edge venue that will play a pivotal role during Expo 2020. But the impact of such a unique space will stretch well beyond the six months of the Expo, boosting the region’s meetings and events industry, furthering the UAE’s reputation as a destination for major conferences, and fuelling growth in Dubai’s knowledge-based economy for many years to come.”

For six months, the most forward-thinking minds and ideas on the planet will be circulating in one place – Expo 2020 Dubai – and bookings are already flowing in to take advantage of the new DEC facility.

By choosing the DEC as a host venue, the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, and all other event organisers, will have the opportunity to engage audiences at the heart of the Arab world’s largest mega event, set to draw 25 million visits.

Shaun Vorster, Vice President, Strategy and Business Integration – Programming at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “There will be no place on the planet offering more exceptional business networking opportunities than Expo 2020 Dubai, and the DEC will be right at its heart. Bookings are already going well and this latest 3D animated fly-through, which gives a taster of the high-tech facilities on offer, has already sparked keen interest among the 190 countries participating in Expo 2020.”

Featuring the latest technology, onsite-catering facilities, and best-in-class audio, visual and telecommunication facilities, the DEC is set to become a hub for Expo 2020’s more than 200 participants, including nations, global multilateral organisations, businesses, educational institutions, and millions of visitors. More than that, this multi-purpose venue will be used by the wider community as a unique location for summits, business festivals, seminars, weddings, gala dinners and live performances.

The DEC will be in close proximity to Al Maktoum International Airport and accessible from Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport, as well as the Dubai and Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminals. Access to the DEC will also be directly available via the dedicated ‘Route 2020’ metro line and four major highways, making it easily reachable by land, air and sea.

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. With 25 million visits expected between 20 October, 2020 and 10 April, 2021, approximately 70 per cent of visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.